National Program Leadership, Partnerships and Capacity

Members and liaisons to the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) assembled in Oklahoma City last week. During the day-and-a-half-long meeting the group addressed support for sustainable Program Leadership, partnership enrichment, and the approach to increasing capacity funding for Cooperative Extension. The ECOP agreed to continue meeting in-person three times per year around strategic directions and Annual Action Plan.

Blayne Arthur, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, President of the Oklahoma State Board of Agriculture, and President of NASDA Foundation Board of Directors warmly welcomed ECOP members March 13, 2024.

The delegation of voting members, EDA Team, Liaisons and guests at the Sheraton OKC Downtown.

Oklahoma State Extension hosted, Oklahoma Farm Bureau sponsored dinner at the Petroleum Club.

(L-R) ECOP Chair Damona Doye presented Laura Perry Johnson (University of Georgia), with an engraved clock, for service to ECOP since 2021. Laura will retire in April 2024. Damona also led a standing ovation for Southern Region Executive Director Ron Brown for his service to ECOP for the past two decades. Ron will retire at the end of June 2024. 

Resolution Passed by the Section - Eighty-three percent of the membership of the Cooperative Extension Section participated during the two-week voting period last month. The final tally, 61 yeses, 2 no's, was recorded in the minutes of the 2024 ECOP Spring Meeting to approve the following. Billing for ECOP by APLU in 2024 (April) will remain the same dating back to 2019. The temporary, three-year resolution will be implemented in 2025.

Resolved: ECOP assessments for state-based 1862 institutions will be proportionally based on the amount that each institution receives in capacity funds (Smith Lever 3.b&c, Smith Lever Special Needs, EFNEP and RREA), calculated using a three-year rolling average. Assessments for 1890 institutions, American Samoa Community College, University of Guam, Northern Marianas College, College of Micronesia, Puerto Rico Agricultural Extension, University of the Virgin Islands, and the University of the District of Columbia will remain at 2024 baseline levels. This calculation method will remain in effect through the 2027 assessment year, at which time the issue will be reevaluated. If the total ECOP budget changes, this will proportionally change the assessment for all 76 institutions.

4-H Work Readiness Reaches 10M+ in USA Today Special Edition - On March 15, USA TODAY published a U.S. Department of Agriculture Special Edition that included a National 4-H Council full-page ad (page 79) to bring visibility to 4-H among corporate prospects, farmers, growers & ranchers, highlighting how 4-H is preparing youth to be work ready. In addition, 100,000 hard copies of the publication was sent directly to key officials at USDA. 

Registration for the 2024 Urban Food Systems Symposium - On June 11-13, The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) hosts the Urban Food Systems Symposium in Columbus, Ohio. The event includes keynotes, a grower panel, 40 presentations, a reception with approximately 50 posters, a choice of six off-site educational tours, and dinner at The Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory. This symposium brings together a national and international audience of academic, non-profit, government, and research-oriented professionals to share and gain knowledge on how we can build coalitions to adapt to this changing world and how urban food systems contribute to these solutions. Please share now to take advantage of early registration prices through April 13. Visit UrbanFoodSystemsSymposium.org for complete information.




Globalizing Extension Innovation Network Seeks Participation - The Globalizing Extension Innovation Network (GEIN), accessible through Connect Extension, is open to Cooperative Extension and other Land-grant University professionals, their community partners, and federal partners, as a network of professionals interested in globalizing Extension innovation. GEIN shares and develops best practices for augmenting extension programs through cross-cultural and international experiences. The network supports the engagement of extension professionals through educational programs emphasizing understanding of global dynamics and using cultural knowledge. shares and develops best practices for augmenting extension programs through cross-cultural and international experiences. GEIN leadership team represents over a dozen extension systems, and is committed to connecting and supporting the global engagement of extension professionals. Extension Directors and Administrators are invited to nominate someone from their system to participate in GEIN if there isn't already a participating member. GEIN Council currently meets monthly on Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. ET. For more information, contact GEIN Chair, Taryn Devereux, Affiliate, University of Maryland, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

ECOP Spring Meeting This Week

The Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) is a standing committee created by the Cooperative Extension Section Rules of Operation. The 15-member board represents the 76 state, territorial, and 1890 land-grant universities in policy decisions, and provides nationwide program and organizational leadership. ECOP functions as a board of directors with authority to make decisions consistent with a common mission to strengthen Cooperative Extension at national, state and local levels, in concert with APLU and USDA-NIFA, to initiate strategic planning and identify nationwide issues that lead to program and budget priorities; represents the states, territories, and 1890s in legislative matters before Congress, and develops and maintains linkages and supportive relationships with other national organizations and associations. This week the ECOP board gathers for its Spring Meeting in Oklahoma City. Some of the themes of meeting are the annual launch of priorities selection process, sustainability of National Program Leadership, and collaboration with academia on microcredentialing.

Capacity Funding Whiteboard Videos Unveiled - At the recent Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET) spring meeting in Washington, DC, three APLU produced videos were unveiled. These videos endeavor to explain the importance of federal capacity funding to those not familiar with those funds or even the Land-grant University system. They are themed around capacity investments using three example concepts. ECOP's YouTube playlist, Investing in People with Solutions in Food Security, is a great place from which to share and embed the videos. Each video, about one minute long, can quickly educate the untutored about capacity funding.

The AI Revolution: An Inflection Point for Higher Ed - At the 2023 Seattle APLU meeting, there was an interesting session regarding how Artificial Intelligence could affect the work of public universities. As we will have further discussions on this technology as a section, I encourage you to watch the video of this presentation. Tune in at 20:45, as the first AI panel is introduced.




Check Out New Land-grant Impacts Educational Materials - Impact statements from last year are captured with excellence in National Land-grant Impacts Database. Anyone can use the impact statements throughout the year to help tell the stories and accomplishments of land-grant universities’ research, education, and Extension. Join ECOP to congratulate the team of professional land-grant university communicators who recently prepared educational materials with 2024 impact stories and summaries highlighting outstanding examples of LGU impacts.

NAAAN Connect Goes Live - The North American Agricultural Advisory Network (NAAAN) has developed the NAAAN CONNECT platform to assist in growth and engagement. This is a community for extension and rural advisory services experts, practitioners, researchers, and those interested in agriculture across Canada, Mexico, and the United States to engage with one another.

Join NAAAN CONNECT to interact with colleagues and share your extension resources across the continent around themes of biodefense and biosecurity, soil health and water management, and building the next generation of leaders in agriculture. The NAAAN looks forward to hearing your voice and learning more of the work underway for food security in North America.

We are excited to announce a new chapter of engagement, collaboration, and work across our three countries.” – Chancellor Tony Frank, CSU System and Chair of the NAAAN Steering Committee.




$26 Million LAMP Program from USDA-AMS - On February 27th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of approximately $26 million for the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) to help local and regional food entities develop, coordinate, and expand producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets, and local food enterprises. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is accepting applications for the grant program until May 14, 2024. Additionally, AMS has added to the suite of resources available to support communities and practitioners in local and regional food systems development.

Meet the ECOP Chair-Elect

ECOP’s Chair-elect, Damona Doye (pictured left), is Associate Vice President of Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service and a Regents Professor in Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University (OSU). An OSU faculty member since June 1986, Dr. Doye served as an Extension farm management specialist for 32 years and held the Rainbolt Chair of Agricultural Finance in the Department of Agricultural Economics. She is a Fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, the highest honor given by the organization in recognition of lifetime achievement. Before her AVP appointment, she received the 2017 Southern Region Excellence in Extension Award from USDA-NIFA and ECOP. The Southern Region Extension Directors appointed her to ECOP in the fall of 2021, and she has served until now on the Program Committee by taking leadership of the Broadband Program Action Team. Until taking the Chair's gavel in October 2023, Dr. Doye will serve as a voting member of the Executive Committee and as ECOP Liaison to ESCOP.




Welcome New ECOP Members

· Northeast Region – Roy Beckford, University of Vermont

Fitzroy B “Roy” Beckford spent over a decade with the University of Florida Extension as a County Extension director, managing work in the areas of agriculture, natural resources, horticultural sciences, marine and aquatic environments, 4-H youth development, family and consumer sciences, food systems, small farms initiatives, and environmental sustainability. During his tenure as the state Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) program leader at North Carolina A&T State University's College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, he provided administrative, financial, marketing and communications leadership. Dr. Beckford began as associate dean and director of University of Vermont Extension on May 1, 2021, and brings a global perspective. He has worked in agricultural consulting around the world, including service with the government of the British Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture, as well as in Qatar and Belize. His national role is that of Executive Committee of ECOP. 

· Western Region - Jon C. Boren, New Mexico State University

Dr. Boren, Associate Dean & Director of NMSU Cooperative Extension Service, returns to ECOP voting membership. He is highly familiar with the National scene as he has represented the System in various capacities since 2012. His extraordinary commitment to the System includes, ECOP Budget & Legislative Committee Chair and Vice-chair, Co-chair of the ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee, Extension International Workgroup, Section Representative to the BAA/PBD Budget and Advocacy Committee, and ECOP Program Committee. In addition, Jon represents the Cooperative Extension System on the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees. 

USDA Regional Food Business Centers RFA - National Extension Webinar - Attention Extension Directors and Administrators (1994, 1890, 1862) and more importantly the extension practitioners from interested land-grant institutions! A national webinar for the Cooperative Extension System about funding for USDA Regional Food Business Centers will take place on Tuesday, October 18, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. The hour is intended to provide information on the AMS Regional Food Business Center RFA, share available resources, and answer questions that are most relevant to the Cooperative Extension System.
Here is the link to register: https://pages.extension.org/regional-food 

Educating Capitol Hill Staff on Adapting to Climate Change - Please share the following opportunity with congressional contacts: Join the National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research (NCFAR) and Resources for the Future for a webinar featuring Margaret Walls, Ph.D, Senior Fellow with Resources for the Future on Adapting to Climate Change: Wildfire, Outdoor Recreation, and Rural Communities in the American West. Registration is required here to receive connection details for Tuesday, October 18, 2022, 11:00 AM ET.

APLU’s New President Mark Becker

On September 1, Mark P. Becker began his first day at APLU stating, "APLU is poised to do great things in the years ahead as we continue to innovate in new or expanded areas and double-down on our core work to equitably advance the student success, research, and engagement missions of public and land-grant universities. The success of these efforts is dependent upon a highly engaged membership. The strength of APLU and its ability to advance change has and always will be through the engagement of its members on our councils, commissions, and boards; our projects and initiatives; and, of course, through our collective advocacy in Washington." Read the full article here. Twitter users can see and hear Dr. Becker here.

Google Grant Will Expand 4-H Computer Science Career Pathways Program - Google.org has awarded National 4-H Council a $5M grant to expand computer science skills and education to underserved youth across the country. With this funding, Cooperative Extension will expand existing and bring new 4-H Computer Science (CS) Career Pathways programs to communities across Iowa, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Nebraska, and West Virginia. Since its start in 2017, 1.4 million youth have participated in Extension’s 4-H CS program, with 65% living rurally, 56% of 4-H teen CS leaders being girls, and 47% coming from racially diverse backgrounds. Read more about Google’s support of 4-H here.

 

White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health Date Announced - The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health will take place in Washington, DC or through virtual means on September 28, 2022. The conference brings government leaders, academics, activists, and Americans from all walks of life together to achieve the goal of ending hunger and reducing diet-related diseases in the U.S. by 2030 – all while reducing disparities among the communities who are impacted the most by these issues. The White House has published a toolkit to an access from the conference website, whitehouse.gov/hungerhealthconference, for hosting satellite events, such as watch parties, discussions, and days of service.

 

APLU Annual Meeting Registration - The APLU Annual Meeting is in-person, and will be held in Denver, Colorado, November 6-8, 2022. The meeting is the premier gathering of senior leaders from public research universities, land-grant institutions, and state university systems. No other meeting in higher education brings together such a diverse array of public university presidents, chancellors, and other senior leaders. The theme is Future Forward. The program is designed to ensure collaboration and give attendees useful, practical strategies. Ample time for networking with colleagues from the North and Central America is built into the schedule. The Board on Agriculture Assembly sessions include USDA award presentations, Annual Memorial Lecture, and General Membership Meeting. View draft BAA/CFERR/FA NR meeting track here. View entire meeting schedule, costs, etc., and be sure to register here before rates increase. 



ERS Releases Household Food Security Report for 2021 - In 2021, 89.8% of U.S. households were food secure while the remaining 10.2% (13.5 million households) were food insecure. Read the report here.

Verizon Renews Support of 1890 4-H Programs

Verizon has committed an additional $5M to National 4-H Council for continued support of the 4-H Tech Changemakers program increasing the total commitment to $12.5M since 2020, with $10M focused on 1890s. Rose Stuckey Kirk – Verizon’s Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer (pictured on the right)– attended the AEA 2022 System-Wide Extension Conference, where Florida A&M University 4-H’er Stephen Hayes (pictured on the left) presented her the 4-H Opportunity For All Visionary Award. Read more about Verizon’s commitment to bridging the digital divide here.

Evaluating End-use Potential for Process Food Wastes - The next National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research (NCFAR) Virtual Lunch-N-Learn to help educate Congress on the Hill is about process food waste generated by large-scale food producers. The waste is generally comprised of inedible portions of organic matter like fruit and vegetable trimmings, skins and peels, and brewing and wine waste. Diversion of these wastes from the landfill to higher value products can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and give additional value to a once discarded source. Process food waste is rich in carbon and often contain various nutraceuticals or bioactive compounds that can be recovered. Alternatively, the process food waste can be upgraded to methane via anaerobic digestion. The Extension System may encourage policy makers and their staffers to register here for the event scheduled for Tuesday, August 16, 2022, at 11:00 AM ET. 

USDA Household Food Security Survey Webinar - NIFA will host a webinar, The Development of New Measures to Complement the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module, on August 30, 2022, at 1 p.m. ET on the USDA Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM). The intended audience are NIFA stakeholders including academics, practitioners, and decision makers working to prioritize nutrition security. And any organization that seeks to help their clients get access to healthful food and/or eat in a healthier way, including hospitals and non-profits concerned with public nutrition. Dr. Eric Calloway will explain that, while the definition of food security is holistic and nuanced, measurement has not traditionally been operationalized more fully. The Household Food Security Survey Module is the primary tool used to assess food security in the United States. For more details, click here. 

NIFA Conducts Live FAQ Session: Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agriculture Systems - Small businesses, land-grant institutions, state controlled institutions of higher learning, and NGO's are eligible to apply for the AFRI-funded Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems (A1712) program area priority. Those with interest are invited to attend a live FAQ event September 14, 2022, at 3 p.m. ET, to learn more about the program area priority and meet the NIFA team. The A1712 is designed to rapidly identify and implement strategies to protect the nation’s food and agricultural supply chains and the people who support them during and after extreme weather events. 

Census of Agriculture Response by June 30

From the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Extension Directors and Administrators are reminded that the 2022 Census of Agriculture is about people. Every survey response is essential by June 30, 2022. Ag census data informs policy, research, assistance programs, ag education, community development, and countless more decisions that ultimately affect farms and communities. From cattle ranchers to greenhouse and backyard growers and urban farmers to producers working thousands of acres, every ag producer needs to be represented. The ag census is a producers' voice, future, and opportunity. Find Partner Tools (i.e. brochures, FAQs, flyers, ads, website banners, etc.) for this Sign-Up to Be Counted phase and more on the NASS census page. Please check there regularly for additional/updated products. Contact: Jodi.halvorson@usda.gov.



Affordable Connectivity Program - As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, President Biden and Vice President Harris worked with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to create the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible households $30/month off their internet bills, or $75/month on Tribal lands. To deliver maximum cost savings to families, the current administration has secured commitments from 20 leading internet providers to offer ACP-eligible households a high-speed internet plan for no more than $30 per month. Eligible families who pair their ACP benefit with one of these plans can receive high-speed internet at no cost. Fact sheet is available here and outreach materials are available at GetInternet.Gov



Transparency in Poultry Grower Contracting and Tournaments Proposed Rule - Almost a year ago USDA announced that it would begin work on three proposed rules to support enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act, the law that protects poultry and hog farmers and cattle ranchers from unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive practices in livestock markets. Recently, Secretary Vilsack announced that the first of the three priority regulatory initiatives, the Transparency in Poultry Grower Contracting and Tournaments proposed rule will be released. The proposed rule would revise the list of disclosures and information live poultry dealers (integrators) must furnish to contract poultry growers. The proposal would establish additional disclosure requirements in connection with the use of poultry grower ranking systems (tournaments) by live poultry dealers to determine settlement payments for poultry growers. The proposed rule is intended to promote transparency in poultry production contracting and to give poultry growers and prospective poultry growers relevant information with which to make business decisions. One of the disclosures in the proposed rule requires live poultry dealers to supply the contact information for the state university Extension service office or the county farm advisor’s office that can provide relevant information to the current or prospective poultry grower about grower costs and poultry farm financial management in the grower’s geographic area. A link to the proposed rule can be found here on the USDA website: Poultry Transparency proposed rule.



Food Supply Chain and Food System News from USDA - USDA announced details of a framework to transform the food system to benefit consumers, producers and rural communities by providing more options, increasing access, and creating new, more, and better markets for small and mid-size producers. The announcement also provides additional details on the June 2021 announcement to strengthen critical supply chains and address longstanding structural challenges that were revealed and intensified by the pandemic.



Free Online Social Justice Courses and Discussions Available - The 2022 Military Family Readiness Academy series focuses on individuals’ understanding of social justice and equity, including their own understanding of privilege and oppression. Three asynchronous courses and two panel discussions will equip family service providers with the skills to identify barriers that impact a family’s health and well-being and identify opportunities for social justice advocacy in their work. The Academy series will address the intersections between engaging a social justice mindset as a family service professional and the ability to support the well-being of diverse military families. Enrollment information can be found here.

REMINDER: NEDA Survey Due 10.19.17

This morning Directors and Administrators who participated in the recent 2017 National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) received an email reminder to complete a survey. The input is valuable as planning occurs for future meetings. PowerPoints from the meeting are available under "NEDA Links and Downloads" section on the right panel of this blog. Stay tuned for a few more additions to this list. Contact Sandy Ruble sandyruble@extension.org for assistance regarding the survey.

2018 National Health Outreach Conference (NHOC) Call for Proposals - Proposals are being requested for the National Health Outreach Conference (NHOC) on May 2–4, 2018, at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. These proposals, due on October 30, 2017, are being sought that include (but are not limited to) the following topics in the fields of community health, safety, and wellness:

• Multi-level community/place-based initiatives 
• Systems-level strategies 
• Health equity initiatives 
• Behavioral and mental health initiatives 
• Financial wellness initiatives 
• Healthy aging strategies 
• Collaborative strategies with health care entities 

Learn more about the requirements for proposals and the submittal process on the 2018 NHOC Call for Proposals web page. Reviewers will notify designated contacts about decisions on proposals by December 4, 2017.

FCS State Program Leaders to Meet this Week - The Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) State Program Leaders Meeting will be held October 18-19, in conjunction with the NEAFCS Annual Conference in Omaha, Nebraska. USDA NIFA FCS staff, in partnership with a planning committee, will deliver a 2-day meeting filled with learning opportunities. Collaborative national partners will share updates, and FCS Leaders will showcase programs of excellence by regions. Chuck Hibberd will share his vision as incoming chair of ECOP and how he plans to employ FCS to help with these efforts. Terry Meisenbach of eXtension will discuss “eXtension Impacts Collaboratives” and opportunities for engagement. A panel focusing on Advancing a Culture of Health with the recipients of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation awards in Extension will share their plans for project implementation. The national healthy homes partnership will also share how it supports the broader health initiative. This event will also afford an opportunity for FCS Leaders to provide stakeholder input on the NIFA FCS portfolio to help shape national programming over the next five years. Participants will be favored with ignite sessions on various topics and updates on EFNEP and Regional Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Centers of Excellence. Last, a development officer will coach FCS Leaders on effective messaging for securing corporate sponsorships. On-site registration for this event is still an option.


CYFAR Listening Sessions Scheduled: The NIFA Children, Youth and Families at Risk Program (CYFAR) - CYFAR will conduct two Listening Sessions on Friday, October 27 and Monday, October 30. This will be an opportunity for NIFA to acquire feedback from Stakeholders concerning the CYFAR Program. Both sessions will be conducted at 1:30-2:30 p.m. EST as ZOOM sessions. Participants will be asked to provide feedback regarding the change in the number of years the CYFAR Sustainable Community Grants will be offered to eligible universities. They will also be asked: Would the CYFAR Program be better served by reducing the number of years funding would be offered to a single university and should funding be offered for a three or four year period instead of five years? This year, there will be an Open Session for Stakeholders to provide general feedback regarding the CYFAR Program. The maximum available funding per single university would be $360,000-$500,000 for the three or four year period, should Congressional funding remain at the same level. For details on connecting to the Zoom meeting, please contact NIFA Vulnerable Populations National Program Leader Bonita Williams at bwilliams@nifa.usda.gov. Background information on CYFAR can be found in the 9/25/17 issue of the ECOP Monday Minute.


Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Competitive Grant Program Grantsmanship Webinar - Jane Clary Loveless, Paul Cotton, Adriene Woodin, Susan Bowman, and Pascale C. Jean will present Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Grant Grantsmanship from 2-4:00 p.m. Eastern on October 19, 2017. The webinar can be viewed via Adobe Connect, and in Room 2311 of the Waterfront Building, Washington, DC. This webinar has been approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration for 1.0 Continuing Professional Education Unit (CEU). This seminar is part of the Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition (IFSN) Seminar Series.

Health Literacy an Extension Priority

Clockwise-Sonja Koukel, New Mexico State University; Sarah Bercaw,
University of Delaware; Belinda Letto, University of Tennessee; Nancy
Crevier, University of Wisconsin; Linda Quade, South Dakota State University;
Lisa Barlage, Ohio State University; Cathy Newkirk, Michigan State University;
Jatunn Gibson, Auburn University;
Fatemeh Malekian, Southern University A&M University

It is estimated that about nine out of 10 adults in the United States lack the skills to manage their health and prevent disease. The Health Literacy Action Team, a part of the ECOP-ESCOP Health Implementation Team, uses this statistic to drive it’s work to raise awareness of health literacy amongst Extension professionals and encourage making health literacy programming a priority. For more information, see http://go.osu.edu/HealthLit, which provides a survey link to share ideas and resources. Sonja Koukel, New Mexico State University, chairs the team working with colleagues from Ohio State University, University of Delaware, University of Wisconsin, Auburn University, University of Tennessee, Southern University, Michigan State University, and South Dakota State University. In process is a toolkit to assist Extension educators and professionals who work within the health system to integrate health literacy into programming. The goal is to address social determinants of health, improve the collective public health, and increase the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life. 

4-H National Youth Science Day Challenge 10.5.16 – National 4-H Council and 4-H National Headquarters at USDA-NIFA announce the ninth annual 4-H National Youth Science Day (NYSD), this year focused on drone discovery. Developed by Cornell University Cooperative Extension, the engineering design challenge will explore how remote sensing can be used to solve real world problems while learning concepts such as flight dynamics, forces of flight, basic computer coding, as well as following federal regulations while operating drones. The 9th annual 4-H NYSD brings 4-H'ers together from around the nation to complete this single, innovative activity. The 4-H NYSD Challenge kit will be available for pre-sale on the 4-H Mall website starting May 18. The new and improved 4-H National Youth Science Day website www.4-H.org/NYSD will launch this month where you can find engaging STEM content, register for a local 4-H NYSD event and access resources and materials. 

Extension Launches “Horizon” Effort – The eXtension Foundation and the ECOP Innovation Task Force are partnering with The New Media Consortium to develop a custom Horizon Report for Cooperative Extension. A panel of 56 experts will look out five years to identify key emerging technologies and methodologies and their impact on Extension. Leadership of this initiative is shared by Jerry Thomas and Christine Geith of eXtension and Keith Smith, Chair of the ECOP Innovation Task Force. The panelists will spend the summer collaborating on the report in a wiki environment (a website that allows for collaborative editing) with a report scheduled for completion in September 2016. More information about the process is at http://bit.ly/1QfyN7u.

APLU to Focus on “Feed the World” – Helping to ensure domestic and global food security by 2050 is the goal of a new APLU commission launched last week http://www.aplu.org/news-and-media/News/aplu-launches-commission-to-align--guide-public-research-universities-role-in-ensuring-global-food-security-by-2050. The commission, called The Challenge of Change: Engaging Public Universities to Feed the World, combines leadership from the APLU Office of Food, Environment and Natural Resources Programs, of which the Cooperative Extension Section is a part, and the APLU Office of International Programs. The commission is tasked with identifying the research, education and engagement efforts public universities should develop to ensure the three pillars of food security – access, availability and utilization – are met throughout the world. Randy Woodson, Chancellor, North Carolina State University, chairs the effort, designed for completion with a report in early 2017 to align with the new presidential administration. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation provided financial support for the commission’s work. 

Extension Master Gardener Program Shows Public Value – The Extension Master Gardener National Committee reports more than 80,000 volunteers contributed time valued at $122 million in 38 states reporting in 2014. It is estimated Master Gardeners donate 1,382 tons of fresh produce to food banks and pantries annually and are involved in 6,000 community gardens. To find out more about the impacts of this Extension program, operating in 49 states, go to http://articles.extension.org/sites/default/files/EMG%20Infocard%202016_0.pdf.

ECOP Monday Minute 9.23.13 - Strategic Opportunities and Measuring Excellence Database

Strategic Opportunities and Measuring Excellence Database – The ECOP database at www.excellenceinextension.org has been rebranded to include expanded salary data, the ability to input and retrieve impact statements, and new options for charting data. Scott Cummings, who manages the database, reports that of the 75 institutions in the Cooperative Extension Section, 35 have reported excellence data and 27 institutions have reported impacts. For more information on how your institution can be represented, contact Scott at s-cummings@tamu.edu. 

Galaxy IV Update – Among highlights of the Galaxy IV Conference last week in Pittsburgh, ECOP Chair Daryl Buchholz received the prestigious Ruby Award from Epsilon Sigma Phi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcIHoc1EUmY; the forward-looking, outwardly-focused Cooperative Extension centennial celebration was launched www.extension100years.net; Chuck Hibberd, ECOP Personnel Subcommittee co-chair, facilitated a discussion of the 21st Century Extension Professional Project, and ECOP chair-elect Jimmy Henning escorted and introduced USDA Secretary Vilsack for a keynote address. ECOP met during Galaxy. Action included approval of the 2014 budget, acceptance of the Cooperative Extension vote to continue the SNAP-Ed assessment for three more years, and a discussion of next steps for eXtension following release of the external review. 

Executive Director Search – The Northeast Extension Directors ask your help in identifying qualified candidates for executive director, replacing Linda Kay Benning who retires this year. In the national Cooperative Extension Director and Administrator structure, this position dedicates 25 percent full-time equivalent to national goals of ECOP and other time on regional priorities. The job announcement is available here with review of applications beginning 10.4.13. 

FY 2013 Capacity Funds – USDA-NIFA has an updated website providing final allocations for capacity/formula funds. See http://www.nifa.usda.gov/business/awards/formula.html and here for a summary of how the agency calculated the final total funding levels for various FY 2013 programs. 

Household Food Security – USDA Economic Research Service has a new release on food security in the United States. Seehttp://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/err-economic-research-report/err155.aspx#.UkBo57zlUUs. "Ensuring an abundant and safe food supply for all" is a strategic priority for Cooperative Extension. See http://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=4096.